People In VIEW

Mt. Jenkins Honors Sierra Nevada Buff

Before his death at 27, Jim Jenkins had devoted the last 10 years of his life to hiking and writing about the Sierra Nevada. His expertise was so great that he wrote two books about the mountains and co-authored two others.

In recognition, the United States Board on Geographic Names has decided to name a mountain after him. A 7,921-foot peak near Ridgecrest will be called Mt. Jenkins.

The move comes after a campaign by outdoor groups. The board called the hiker a "noted authority on the flora, fauna and history of the Southern Sierra Nevada."

Jenkins, who died in an auto accident in 1979, became interested in the mountains as a teen-ager and developed a sense of serenity and self-reliance there that helped him overcome a youthful lack of confidence.

"Jim would be amazed by all this," said his mother, Ruby. "He would never believe people would want to honor him like this. . . . A mountain for Jim seems so right."

Law Firm's Centennial Good Samaritan Hospital was not the only Los Angeles institution to make its debut in 1885. In the same year Henry W. O'Melveny established a law office at 248 N. Main St.

O'Melveny's firm grew until, under his son, John, it became O'Melveny & Myers in 1939. Today the practice includes about 350 attorneys in Los Angeles, Century City, Newport Beach, New York and Washington and is one of the 10 largest in the nation.

Last week the firm celebrated its centennial by donating $50,000 to the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation toward restoration of O'Melveny's original barn on 670 acres he owned in the north San Fernando Valley. The land has become a city park.

Warren Christopher, deputy secretary of state under President Carter and the chairman of the firm, said it wanted to help the city's efforts to turn the rugged terrain into an area usable for picnics and family outings.

60,000 Happy Birthdays If you were born at Good Samaritan Hospital, you're invited to a party.

Representatives of the Los Angeles facility calculate that it has delivered more than 60,000 babies since its inception in 1885.

That makes quite a guest list, but a spokesman said the hospital is ready.

A 40-foot layer cake will help feed the crowd, which will be part of the hospital's centennial anniversary celebration scheduled for June 1.

The tent party in a parking lot in front of the hospital will have an ice cream social theme.

Help for Small Businesses Is your business faltering? Five students from Cal State L.A. could help.

The students won a Small Business Administration (SBA) regional award for marketing and management analysis of a local towing company, which had sought their help.

Anne Leung of Los Angeles, Assad Ahmad Bukhari of Monterey Park, Alex Arjonilla of Harbor City, Steve Popkin of Buena Park and Brant Williams of Long Beach are all seniors working under William Cohen, professor of marketing.

They're among 150 students in the school's Small Business Institute, a nationwide SBA program.

Cohen said the students do about 60 free consultations a year for small businesses that apply to the SBA. "Many small businesses need consultants but can't afford them," he said. "Some are in dire straits and some are successful, but they know a good thing when they see it and they get on board.

Cat Teaches Fire Safety Early in a comic book published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, El Gato, a cat, uses gasoline to clean his bicycle.

His room fills with vapors that explode from the pilot light in his heater.

But El Gato is one smart cat. He survives and learns that flammable liquids, burning cigarettes, overloaded extension cords and matches used unsafely can all cause fires.

The Product Safety Commission is hoping that children who read the comic book will learn the same thing.

It has made "The 9 Lives of El Gato the Cat" available for 50 cents from the Consumer Information Center, Dept. 404N, Pueblo, Colo., 81009. More than 3,100 of the books were distributed in 1984.

"We hope that if children run across fire dangers at school or at play, they'll be able to help prevent it," said Becky Keiper, speaking for the center. "Parents know the dangers, but it's always good to go over them again, especially with your children."